The present invention relates to a machine for processing audio signals, a process of processing audio signals and a manufacture of an audio environment.
Digital audio consoles are known in which audio signals are processed as digital signals. Consoles of this type follow a format that is similar to conventional analog consoles in that each input signal has a dedicated channel, usually including a fader and other processor controls.
Within the console, synchronisation of signals is maintained and digital-input-signals may be received as a time-division-multiplex. Thus, each digital signal is contained within a time-slot of the multiplex and specific time slots are then allocated to channels within the console environment.
In many applications, including those deployed within broadcasting environments, it is necessary to maintain real-time operation, such that any latency introduced through the process of digitization is minimised and operations are perceived by users as being instantaneous. To achieve this, the mixing-console includes a digital-processing-system operating in real-time that is dedicated to the processing of signals received within particular channels. Such systems cannot be interrupted and as such are not available for providing additional control functions.
It is also appreciated that in many environments, it is necessary to transmit audio signals over significant distances between their source and a mixing and processing environment. To achieve this, it is known to transmit audio signals over conventional packet-based networks, such as Ethernet. It is also known to provide bridges allowing a packet-based environment to interface with a time-division-multiplex environment, thereby maintaining communication between an audio-source and a mixing-console. However, it is well established that significant configuration operations are required in order to establish an environment of this type. This requires trained engineers and as such may present a significant overhead, particularly if the environment is portable or requires reconfiguration on a regular basis. From a user's perspective, they merely wish to identify a particular source, such as a particular microphone, as providing an input to a particular channel on a mixing-console, without being required to specifically program a packet-based environment such that it may interface with a time-division-multiplex environment.